LONG BLOG

Salida dear readers,
my name is Jim aka "OpiumHerz" and as some of you may already guess by that nickname: I am german. With the blog series "The worst thing about censorship is ███████ " I want to simply give you a little insight in videogame censorship, which is still pretty much alive and kicking here in Germany (but I won't restrict myself to Germany exclusively). I started this blog in 2013 and consider this series to be now in Season 2. Fuck yeah! After getting frontpage-famous I'll continue to take stuff from my colleagues at Schnittberichte.com and recycle that stuff for your enjoyment.

This episode is about a simple question: what kind of system would you prefer (and why)?

Do you think it's okay to censor videogames? Would you prefer the laws to simply forbid censoring videogames? And think about the consequences for a second. Yes, this is something different than I do usually, but why not include my readers actively for once?

As for me, it's simple. First off, speaking as a german, I would remove the option of indexing or confiscating items (not only games) in general. I actually consider games a form of art and I wouldn't want the ability to practically ban art to exist. As for the ratings system I would simply adapt the PEGI system. Not only because it doesn't decline ratings (even the hardest shit would get through there with an 18+ stamp - there is no known case of the PEGI declining a rating so far) but because the symbols show the reasons for the rating and thus give a general idea what to expect in the game. It's far better than just saying "This game is rated 18+!".

Also I am absolutely for the option to be able to release anything. Many people that are pro censorship cry about how then the racists and rape simulators and stuff like that would get flushed into stores. The thing is: it would not. Americans might know the dreadful videogames the KKK and alike produce. Stuff like "Ethnic cleansing" and products like this are infamous. Of course games like this also exist in Germany too. The "KZ Manager" is one of the most infamous games around here, even though it was made in the 80s or something like that. Others like the "Nigger Test" or "Turkey Test" are in the mix too, you get the idea. But as I explained already in my entry about the Nazis: banning this stuff doesn't protect anybody for two reasons.
1. no normal store has this shit. Literally. Do you think Walmart or any other chain would put this stuff into their shelves if it were to be officially rated? No, they would not. Of course they would not. Nobody would buy it and it would ruin their reputation in an instant. So even if those games were to be legally released anywhere, you wouldn't find stuff like that in any normal store.
2. the stores that do sell this stuff don't care about the laws anyway. They are underground stores for their specific clientele and they exist everywhere. So the banning doesn't make sense in the first place, because those dealers don't care for laws in the first place.

So that's basically how I would like to have: ratings by the PEGI. No indexing. No confiscating. Everything can get through official ratings with a maximum rating of 18+ in an uncensored state.

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Sorry for the extra step!

About OpiumHerzone of us since 3:54 AM on 04.10.2013

German Blogger, writing the series "The worst thing about censorship is ███████ " (go check it out!) since I like to write about that topic and am invested in it a whole lot. Also writes some other stuff sometimes. Likes to listen to very strange bands and has the ultimate goal in life to taste every soft drink there is at least once. Pure Gonzo - and while I thank god for Jim Sterling sometimes, I thank god for Hunter S. Thompson every day.
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I like good games. Yes, that's quite general, but I don't really like confining myself to certain genres. I like interesting approaches, invention and creativity. But I can enjoy a straight-up shooter as much as a "Bastion". It just has to be done well and appeal to me on some level.

Want to know anything else? Just leave a comment under a blog or write a message. Same goes for corrections (please), as English isn't my native language and thus isn't nearly perfect.